I've sampled non-dairy "milks" before, and written about them on two previous occasions. (See my posts on June 16th, 2018 and April 25th, 2020 for more information.) But, it's been a while, and I saw a couple of new ones. So I gave them a go as well. This time around I tried the chocolate kind from Not Milk, and the original kind of Ripple.
The story of Ripple Foods begins in 2014. Adam Lowry, who'd already had business success by co-founding Method Products, met up with a biochemical engineer named Dr. Neil Renninger. They decided to create a company dedicated to making non-dairy "milks." (Am I going to add quotation marks to "milk" for the rest of this post? Yup.) They also follow the common rules of what I call "hippie" type companies--they're big on environmental stability, against the use of common allergens, eschew GMOs, and are pro-vegan. They're also proudly a "B" company, which means that they meet standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, legal accountability, and the balance of profits and purpose. Aside from the kind I tried, Ripple also makes chocolate and vanilla flavors, and shelf stable versions of all of these, as well as various kids and unsweetened versions. The base for all of these "milks" is the yellow split pea. Which, as the website proudly notes, requires much less water than almonds, and puts out a much lower CO2 output than real dairy. Oddly though, Ripple does use regular ol' cane sugar in their sweetened drinks. Which doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of their healthy ethos, but whatever. Finally, the headquarters of the company is in California, but my carton says it's a product of Canada, so evidently some of their facilities are in the Great White North.
Not Milk is made The Not Company, Inc., based out of San Francisco, California. Alternate products of the company include Not Mayo, Not Sausage, Not Sausage (bratwurst), Not Hot Dogs, Not Mac & Cheese, Not Cheeses, Not Burgers, and Not Chicken Patties. As I went deeper into the company itself, I got some surprises. First, the company is in turn owned by the massive Kraft/Heinz corporation, which owns dozens of brands, including Philadelphia cream cheese, A.1. steak sauce, Capri Sun drinks Clausen pickles, Cool Whip, Jell-O, etc., etc. Since non-dairy "milk" makers tend to be independent, and against the big businesses that may not be environmentally conscious, labor-friendly, health-conscious, and such, it seemed like an odd choice that they would agree to be part of such a megacorporation. Then I read an article which made things weirder, and perhaps sinister? Co-founders Matias Muchnik and Karim Pichara are apparently quite open about their main goal. Which isn't to make plant-based products. It's alleged that they use their AI program "Guiseppe," as a Trojan horse to disrupt research and development centers in the industries that use animal and plant ingredients. Or, it's a data company disguised as a food company. For legal reasons, I'll re-state that this was one article, and I'm not 100% sure of its legitimacy. But it was definitely much stranger, and possibly unsettling to read about this while researching a business that makes pseudo dairy products. If these accusations are true, if you're into consuming meat and dairy, be warned--the Not Company is evidently coming for the products that you love. (I'm jokingly exaggerating. I think. I hope.)
Ripple plant based milk, original flavor: Had an off-white color. No real odor. Plain, it tastes kind of "milky," but is flat, somehow. So alright, but not great. It was also okay on cereal. Maybe a good substitute for real milk? Kind of "meh" overall, I suppose. Not especially good, but not especially bad, either.
Not Milk, chocolate flavor: Had a light brown color, and not much of an odor. I had some plain, and some on cereal. (Full disclosure--I haven't much chocolate milk in my life. I was allergic to chocolate before puberty, so I didn't have it then. And after, I just didn't really try it much. I don't remember why.) Both ways were pretty good. The thickness, texture, and taste were like real milk. And the chocolate taste was definitely evident, and to a good amount. So overall I liked this one, and it was noticeably better than the Ripple. I would recommend this to vegans, or to those milk drinkers that like to switch things up every once in a while, for whatever reason.
One final tidbit, which goes back to the Ripple Foods company. Mainly, their name. I'm really showing my age here, but when I hear about a drink called "Ripple," I think about the cheap, fortified wine made for, and consumed mostly by, poor alcoholics, and indigent college students. Ripple was akin to potent potables like Wild Irish Rose, Thunderbird, Night Train, Cisco, Mad Dog 20/20, and Boone's Farm. Ripple was at its peak of popularity (or notoriety, for many) in the 1970's and was discontinued in 1984. This ending date puzzled me, since I clearly didn't drink it when I was a college student, in the late 80's and early 90's. Then I read about how the character Fred Sanford on the 1970's Redd Foxx television sitcom "Sanford and Son" was a vocal fan, mentioning it frequently. So this must be why I recall it, mostly, as I did used to watch that program as a kid. Anyway, I guess the makers of Ripple the "milk" never heard of the wino drink, or else figured that enough time had passed. But still, the name makes me laugh a little.
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